JACKSON – Two students from Catholic schools in the Diocese of Jackson have been named finalists in the 71st Annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Jack Williams, of St. Joseph Catholic School in Madison, and Elizabeth Bednar of St. Aloysius/Vicksburg Catholic School received the prestigious academic honor, which recognizes high-achieving students nationwide. The National Merit Scholarship Program, established in 1955, is an annual academic competition for recognition and college undergraduate scholarships. About half of the finalists will earn National Merit Scholarships and the title of Merit Scholar.JACKSON – St. Richard School students Thomas Morisani, Max Nasif, Anthony Morisani, Jay Leblanc and Ethan Orsborn receive ashes from Father Andrew Bowden during Ash Wednesday Mass at the Father Brian Kaskie Chapel as students and families mark the beginning of Lent. Father Andrew served alongside his father, Deacon Mark Bowden. (Photo by Celeste Saucier)MERIDIAN – First-grader Myles Oswalt watches as St. Patrick School principal Rob Calcote tastes “green eggs and ham” during a classroom activity inspired by the Dr. Seuss classic. (Photo by Helen Reynolds)JACKSON – (Right) Students at Sister Thea Bowman School perform a mime dance during the school’s annual Black History program on Feb. 27. (Photo by Deacon Denzil Lobo)MADISON – Members of the St. Joseph School dance team pose at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida, during the National UDA Dance Competition in January. Front row, from left, are coach Leslie Ann Harkins, Addyson Russell, a sophomore; Talia Ramos, a senior; Katie Venable, a junior; Cate Anderson, a junior; and Lilli Venable, a freshman. Back row, from left, are Gypsy Macias, a senior; Ollie Cook, a junior; Zaniah Purvis, a senior and captain; M&M Williams, a senior and captain; and Emma Williams, a freshman. The competition marked the squad’s first appearance at the national event. (Photo courtesy of school)GREENVILLE – St. Joseph students Fletcher McGaugh, left, and Julius McCullum work through a geometry problem on congruent triangles. (Photo by Nikki Thompson)NATCHEZ – Cathedral School third-graders Annie Lofton, Oli Trotter, Savanna Mitchell, James Cooper and Caroline Roberts dress as historical figures while presenting the school’s Presidents Day program Feb. 13. (Photo by Brandi Boles)MADISON – Charles Dukes, a student at St. Anthony School, completes a portrait of Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA following a fourth-grade field trip to the Mass of Thanksgiving and the closing of the diocesan phase of her cause for canonization. (Photo by Kati Loyacono)COLUMBUS – Annunciation Catholic School students in the Kindergarten Krewe toss beads during a Mardi Gras-style parade. Pictured are Sydney Graham, Avynn Clapper, Kensi Beth Paine and Juliana Dimino. (Photo by Jacque Hince)SOUTHAVEN – Fourth-graders at Sacred Heart School participate in the “Sacred Heart School Medical Center,” a hands-on activity for their human body systems unit. Students rotate through stations exploring topics such as cells, bones and other body systems. (Photo by Sister Margaret Sue Broker)
FLOWOOD – Students at St. Paul Early Learning Center listen to award-winning author Cindy Allison Bell, a Madison resident with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. Bell, a mother of three grown sons and grandmother to twin boys, draws on her Christian background to write about celebrating unconditional love and the people God places in our lives. (Photo by Wendi Murray)
From the Archives By Mary Woodward On a beautiful Monday in February, Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz of the Diocese of Jackson sealed the final two boxes of 15 total in the official closing session for the diocesan phase of the cause for beatification and canonization of Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA. The closing session capped almost eight years of investigation and documentation into the life of Sr. Thea by theologians, historians and archivists.
In the presence of four brother bishops – Archbishop Mark Rivituso, the metropolitan archbishop of Mobile; Archbishop Thomas Rodi, retired archbishop of Mobile; Bishop Steven Raica, the bishop of Birmingham; and Bishop Robert Baker, retired Birmingham bishop – more than two dozen priests; two classes of elementary school students; and a packed house of joyful friends and admirers of Sister Thea, Bishop Kopacz celebrated a spirit-filled liturgy that transitioned into the closing ceremony filled with canonical protocols, oaths and decrees.
JACKSON – Chancellor and archivist Mary Woodward practices sealing one of the boxes containing documents for the cause of Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman with red wax as cause postulator Dr. Emanuele Spedicato assists prior to the closing ceremony of the diocesan phase of the cause.
“This moment marks an important milestone in the Church’s careful and prayerful discernment of Sister Thea Bowman’s witness to the Gospel,” Kopacz said in his homily. “Her life continues to inspire faith, hope, and joy, not only within our diocese but throughout the Church in the United States and beyond.”
At the closing ceremony, Bishop Kopacz used red wax discs to seal the final two boxes of the 10 that would be shipped to the Vatican. These 10 boxes wrapped in the characteristic red ribbon adorned the altar and comprised two complete sets of the “acts” to be sent to the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints by way of the apostolic nunciature in Washington. Each set contained a complete copy of the 15,000+ pages of transcribed writings, interviews, and decrees all needed to present as evidence of Sister Thea’s reputation of holiness to officials in Rome. One complete set of five boxes will remain permanently sealed in the Diocese of Jackson archive.
The cause postulator, Dr. Emanuele Spedicato, from Rome, myself as diocesan liaison to the cause, and members of the cause’s historical commission tasked with gathering all the documents, speeches, writings and notes of Sister Thea were present to witness the sealing of the boxes along with the cause tribunal who traveled the country to interview many witnesses who knew Sister Thea.
The historical commission – Dr. Cecilia Moore, professor of history and religious studies at the University of Dayton; Dr. Anne Klejment, professor emerita of history at St. Thomas University; Meg Paulino, FSPA archivist; and Sidney Paulson, FSPA associate archivist – worked the entire week before the Mass and closing session to organize all the documents with indices, page numbers, sections and volumes. As mentioned, each set contained 15,000+ pages divided into 47 volumes filling five banker boxes.
Each member of the commission got to seal at least one box of the complete set of 15. This process allowed us to determine exactly how many red wax discs we would need to be melted for Bishop Kopacz to seal the final two boxes at the ceremony. The sealing of first box of the two went very smoothly using six discs for the center seal on the ribbon knot then five discs for the secondary seal on the ribbon tails. Then in front of everyone, in what seemed like an eternity, we waited for the second set of discs to melt for application to the second box. The virtue of patience played a major role throughout the entire eight-year journey and fittingly capped off the final moment of that closing session.
Following the ceremony, the boxes returned to my office in the chancery to be carefully packed and shipped to the apostolic nunciature in Washington where they would be placed in diplomatic pouches to ship to Rome. Each sealed box was wrapped in bubble wrap and heavily cushioned with packing materials to prevent the ribbons and seal from breaking during shipment. We even had to find heavy duty shipping boxes that could accommodate 38 lbs. of weight because that was 6 lbs. above the normal capacity for regular shipping boxes.
A FedEx driver wheels away the carefully packed boxes, each weighing nearly 40 pounds and containing thousands of pages of documentation for the cause of Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman, on their journey to Rome. (Photos from archives)
A few days ago, we received confirmation from the nunciature that the boxes were in route to the Vatican. A special ceremony for officially opening the boxes will be held at the Dicastery in Rome in the presence of the postulator and other dicastery officials. This normally happens within a few months of arrival.
The next phase will be the Roman Phase where the acts will be studied by the Dicastery while the postulator writes a large summary of the evidence that ultimately will be presented to the Holy Father. The Pope will determine if the Servant of God may then be declared venerable. The Roman phase may take up to five years.
Now, we wait and we pray. We pray for Sister Thea to intercede for us and our loved ones, especially those in need of miraculous healing. We pray for a miracle, because if a miracle occurs from the countless prayers of intercession offered through Sister Thea, she can jump straight into line for beatification. What a joyous day that will be!
(Mary Woodward is Chancellor and Archivist for the Diocese of Jackson.)
JACKSON – When Bishop John Joseph Chanche arrived in the newly formed Diocese of Natchez in May of 1841, there were no Catholic Churches, only a couple of missionary priests, and his flock was far flung. He rose to the challenge and laid the foundation for the Diocese of Jackson. The diocese honors his legacy and thanks those who continue to build on his foundation with the Bishop Chanche medal for service.
Fatherhood comes first as Mario Villasenor of St. Therese Parish in Jackson cares for his baby during Mass.Jose Varela of St. Jude Parish in Pearl is pinned with the Bishop Chanche Medal for service. Elizabeth Liddell of Holy Ghost Parish in Jackson prays during the Bishop Chanche Medal Mass.Liz Edmondson of St. Michael Forest poses for a photo with Bishop Joseph Kopacz after receiving the Bishop Chanche Medal for service to the Church.Honorees stand during the Bishop Chanche Medal ceremony recognizing their service to the Church. (Photos by Joanna King)
JACKSON – The Diocese of Jackson joyfully honored the anniversaries of married couples from across the diocese with two special Masses, celebrated by Bishop Joseph Kopacz. The first Mass took place on Saturday, Feb. 7, at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in Jackson, followed by a second celebration on Saturday, Feb. 14, at St. James in Tupelo. These gatherings brought together couples of all ages to celebrate the sacred bond of marriage and their commitment to one another through the years.
During the World Marriage Day celebrations, couples were honored with a special anniversary certificate, blessed and signed by Bishop Kopacz. These certificates serve as a meaningful keepsake, commemorating their years of love, commitment and faith.
The ceremonies also provided an opportunity for couples to renew their vows in the presence of family, friends and fellow parishioners, reaffirming their dedication to one another and to God.
The diocese extends heartfelt congratulations to all the couples who participated in this year’s celebrations. Whether newlyweds or those marking decades of marriage, each couple serves as a witness to the enduring power of love and the grace of the sacrament of matrimony.
Please join us in celebrating and praying for these special couples, that their love may continue to grow and inspire others for years to come.
JACKSON – Couples, including Pham Nguyen and Bach Tuyet of St. Richard Parish, renew their marriage vows during the World Marriage Day celebration Feb. 7 at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle. The Mayos celebrated 35 years of marriage and Nguyen and Tuyet 38 years. (Photos by Tereza Ma)Will and Sallie Ann Inman of St. Francis Parish in Madison pose with Bishop Joseph Kopacz after the World Marriage Day celebration Feb. 7 at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle. The couple is celebrating 35 years of marriage.
By Gina Christian (OSV News) – Catholics across the Middle East are reeling with shock and sorrow, and responding with prayer, amid joint strikes Israeli and U.S. forces launched on Iran Feb. 28, plunging the region into war.
The U.S. and Israel revealed that Iran’s supreme leader, 86-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is among the country’s senior leaders killed in the initial assault, which targeted Tehran and cities across Iran.
U.S. President Donald Trump described the attacks as part of “major combat operations” to overthrow Iran’s regime in order to “defend the American people.”
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz announced the Feb. 28 “preemptive strike” against Iran, with a state of emergency declared across Israel.
Iran has retaliated with counterstrikes, targeting Israel and several U.S.-interest locations across a number of Middle East nations.
Casualties on all sides – including countries caught in the crossfire – are still being assessed amid the ongoing exchanges.
Iran’s foreign minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, claimed that a girls’ school in Minab was bombed in the U.S.-Israeli air assault and showed a photo.
“Dozens of innocent children have been murdered at this site alone,” he said. “These crimes against the Iranian People will not go unanswered.”
U.N. Secretary General António Guterres begged “all parties to return immediately to the negotiating table,” warning “the alternative is a potential wider conflict with grave consequences for civilians and regional stability.”
On March 1, Pope Leo XVI spoke out in the Sunday Angelus at St. Peter’s Square telling the warring parties they had a “moral responsibility” to end the fighting and return to diplomacy before the violence led to an “irreparable abyss.”
Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, warned, “We are faced with the possibility of a tragedy of immense proportions.”
Bishop Aldo Berardi, apostolic vicar of northern Arabia issued a Feb. 28 statement on Facebook, urging the faithful “to remain calm, united in prayer, and attentive to the safety of everyone.”
“Please follow carefully the instructions of civil authorities and take all necessary precautions,” said Bishop Berardi.
“Let us remain united in faith and charity, caring especially for the elderly, the sick, and the vulnerable,” said Bishop Berardi. “May Our Lady of Arabia, our mother, watch over us all.”
Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Bashar M. Warda of Irbil, Iraq, told OSV News March 2 he “could see the whole scene” of nearby missile attacks by Iran on a U.S. military base near the Irbil airport.
“The missiles … the noise and the bombing,” he said. “You can imagine the fear and horror.”
“Prayer is the only hope we have,” he said.
In Israel, Benedictine Father Nikodemus Schnabel – abbot of Dormition Abbey on Mount Zion in the heart of Jerusalem and of Tabgha, the community’s priory on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee – sheltered with some 60 pilgrims at Tabgha, the revered site of Jesus Christ’s multiplication of the loaves and fishes.
“It was always in the air that … something could happen,” he explained.
He said their international group had been in the shelter for two hours, describing the time – which video obtained by OSV News showed the pilgrims praying and singing – as unifying amid the attacks.
“It was a good experience. We don’t know each other, but then we sing songs in different languages. We pray together,” he explained.
He said the experience was an example of Benedictine hospitality.
“Very often I say, ‘I want that our two monasteries are two islands of hope in an ocean of suffering,’” said Father Schnabel. “And this was exactly the feeling. We were also today an island of hope in an ocean of suffering.”
Jesuit Father John Paul, rector of the Tantur Ecumenical Institute – located between Bethlehem and Jerusalem – told OSV News he believed “Jerusalem is not a target area.”
The priest, whose institute is staffed by both Palestinians and Israelis, pointed to the sorrow evoked by the strikes, which follow the Israel-Hamas war and ongoing tensions between Israel and Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
“Overall, with local Palestinians” there is “a feeling of real sadness – my guess is with Israelis as well,” said Father John Paul.
Father Schnabel said the pilgrims at Tagbha were praying for all affected.
“We pray for the others … So let’s pray for the people in Iran. Let’s pray for the people in Israel. Let’s pray for the people in Palestine. Let’s pray for the people in the region who are facing this situation,” he said.
(Gina Christian is a multimedia reporter for OSV News. Paulina Guzik, international editor of OSV News, contributed to this report.)
By Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D. The Ash Wednesday admonition from the Lord Jesus to pray, fast and give alms – when done faithfully – are the driving forces that give God an opening for repentance, conversion and deep-seated change in a person’s life. The big three make fertile the soil of one’s heart and mind to welcome the grace of God in expectant faith.
When the desire to repent awakens in a person’s soul what are the signs that the hands of divine providence are at work?
Psalm 51 is the classic prayer of repentance and restored hope that the tradition says is the heartfelt plea of King David after he had sinned grievously in adultery with Bathsheba in combination with the murder of her husband Uriah the Hittite.
Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.
The psalm below portrays the journey of a soul as he or she passes from the stages of deep-seated sorrow to the joy of right relationship with God, with others and the proper stance in worship, all accomplished by God’s saving grace.
Have mercy on me, God, in accord with your merciful love; in your abundant compassion blot out my transgressions. Thoroughly wash away my guilt and from my sin cleanse me. For I know my transgressions; my sin is always before me.
Against you, you alone have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your eyes. Behold, you desire true sincerity, and secretly you teach me wisdom. Cleanse me with hyssop that I may be pure; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
You will let me hear gladness and joy; the bones you have crushed will rejoice. Turn away your face from my sins; blot out all my iniquities. A clean heart create for me, God; renew within me a steadfast spirit. Do not drive me from before your face, nor take from me your holy spirit.
Restore to me the gladness of your salvation; uphold me with a willing spirit. I will teach the wicked your ways, that sinners may return to you.
Lord, you will open my lips, and my mouth will proclaim your praise. My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit. A contrite, humbled heart, O God, you will not scorn. (Psalm 51)
The rush of God’s mercy like an unfailing stream over King David is every man and every woman’s experience when brought to their knees with the weight of sin and raised up in the freedom of forgiveness.
All of the penitential psalms in one way or another anticipate the life, death, and resurrection of God’s beloved Son, and the power of the Cross to forgive and reconcile. Psalm 51, in the manner of St. Augustine in his Confessions, uniquely reveals the depravity of sin and the bounty of God’s mercy. It is not surprising then that the Church selects this psalm on Ash Wednesday in anticipation of the second reading from St. Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians where the apostle assures us that we are a new creation in Jesus Christ. The gift of God’s mercy that we receive In the Sacrament of Reconciliation or in whatever moment or situation in our lives is both personal and relational.
On Ash Wednesday we heard this in St. Paul’s words:
Brothers and sisters, we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. … Working together, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says: In an acceptable time, I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you. Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
The Lord invites us today, not tomorrow, to be reconciled to God, to one another, and as his ambassadors to pray and work for peace in our world.
May we receive the grace of God in all its beauty, goodness, and truthfulness in order to bear fruit that will last as his disciples in a world crying out for peace and unity.
We are in the midst of ‘application season’ in the diocese. Typically this time of year, we have several men who are considering whether they are called to enter seminary formation, and Father Tristan Stovall and I try to walk with them as best we can. Our goal is to help them discover whether seminary is the place for them.
We discover this through one-on-one conversations so that they can ask me what seminary life is all about. They also are encouraged to visit the seminary at some stage so they can see what it’s really like. So many young people (and older people) think that a seminary operates like a monastery, but it’s not! As Father Tristan and I get to know a discerner, there comes a point when it is appropriate to ‘hand him an application.’ Sometimes the discernment process ends without an application, but once the application is in hand, then we can plug the applicant into more resources to discover whether he’s called to the seminary.
We have the applicant work with the St. Luke Center in Louisville, Kentucky, a firm of Catholic psychologists who conduct testing that is called for by the Church. Since St. Luke works exclusively with applicants for formation, they know what to look for in a good applicant, and they give the candidate and me great information.
Once the application is turned in and the testing at St. Luke Center is through, we ask the candidate to meet with our Vocation Committee. This is a group of laity from various parishes who hear the story of the candidate and then ask him questions to get to know him better. This group has been working with me since 2020, and they have seen many applicants through the process. The Vocation Committee gives their opinion to me and Bishop Kopacz, and then a final decision is made on the candidate. I am confident that our application process helps men whether or not they end up enrolling in the seminary. It also helps us be generous but judicious with the resources entrusted to us to provide education and formation for our seminarians. We provide resources to these applicants to help them understand who they are and what God is calling them to do, and I am grateful for the collaboration of experts and the people of God in the process.
Please keep all those men applying for the seminary this year in your prayers, and pray that God’s will, not ours, be done!
(Father Nick Adam is Director of Vocations for the Diocese of Jackson. He can be contacted at nick.adam@jacksondiocese.org.)
(OSV News) – As tensions escalate following the Feb. 28 U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran, we share this prayer to St. Francis of Assisi – a timeless intercessor for peace – which Pope Leo XIV shared with leaders of the Franciscan order on the beginning of the 800th anniversary of St. Francis’ death in January 2026.
Pope Leo XIV shared this prayer to St. Francis with leaders of the Franciscan order on the beginning of the 800th anniversary of St. Francis’ death in January 2026. (OSV News graphic/Megan Marley)
IN EXILE By Father Ron Rolheiser, OMI I heard this story from a renowned theologian who prefers I don’t use his name in sharing this, though the story speaks well of his theology.
He was giving a lecture and at one point stated that God didn’t want Jesus to suffer like he did. A woman in the audience immediately raised her voice: “Do you mean that?” Not knowing whether this was an objection or an affirmation, he invited the woman to speak to him at the break. Approaching him at the break, she repeated her question: “Do you mean that? Do you believe that God didn’t want Jesus to suffer as he did?” He replied that indeed he meant it. God didn’t want Jesus to suffer as he did. Her response: “Good, then I can pray again. I struggle to pray to a God who needs this type of suffering to pay some kind of debt.”
Father Ron Rolheiser, OMI
Why did Jesus suffer? Was his suffering needed to pay a debt that only a divine being could pay? Was the original sin of Adam and Eve so great an offense to God that no human sincerity, worship, altruism, or sacrificial suffering could appease God? Indeed, does God ever need to be appeased?
The idea that Jesus needed to suffer as he did to somehow appease God for our sins lies deep within our popular understanding of Jesus’ suffering and death, and there are seemingly strong references in support of that in scripture and in the theology of atonement. What these suggest is that some quota of suffering was needed to pay the debt for sin, and Jesus’ suffering paid that debt. And since the debt was huge, Jesus’ suffering had to be severe.
But, how much of this is metaphorical and how much of this is to be taken literally? Here’s another take on why Jesus chose to accept suffering as he did.
He did it to be in full solidarity with us. He accepted to suffer in such an extreme way so that no one would be able to say: “Jesus didn’t suffer in a way that I have! I have suffered in more painful and humiliating ways than he ever did!”
Well, let’s examine Jesus’ suffering in the light of that challenge.
First, in his life before his passion and death, he suffered the pain of poverty, misunderstanding, hatred, betrayal, plus the loneliness of celibacy. As well, on the cross he suffered a dark night of faith. But these are ordinary human sufferings. It’s in his passion and death that his sufferings become more extraordinary.
Jesus was crucified. Crucifixion was designed by the Romans as more than just capital punishment. It was also designed to inflict the optimum amount of pain that a person could absorb. That’s why they would sometimes give morphine or some other drug to the one being crucified, not to dull his pain, but to keep him conscious so that he would suffer longer.
Worse still, crucifixion was designed to utterly humiliate the one being crucified. Crucifixions were public events, and the one being crucified was stripped naked so his genitals would be exposed and in the spasms as he was dying, his bowels would loosen. Utter humiliation. This is what Jesus suffered.
Moreover, scholars speculate (albeit there is no direct evidence for this) that on the night between his arrest and his execution the next day he was sexually assaulted by the soldiers who had him in their custody. This speculation grounds itself on two things: a hunch, since sexual assault was common in such situations; and to suffer this kind of humiliation would be Jesus’ ultimate solidarity with human suffering.
Perhaps no humiliation compares with the humiliation suffered in sexual assault. If Jesus suffered this, and the hunch is that he did, that puts him in solidarity with one of the deepest of all human pains. Everyone who has suffered this humiliation has the consolation of knowing that Jesus may have suffered this too. Why did Jesus accept to suffer as he did? Why, as the Office of the Church puts it, did he become sin for us?
Whatever the deep mystery and truth that lie inside the motif of paying a debt for our sins and atoning for human shortcomings, the deeper reason Jesus chose to accept suffering as he did was to be in full solidarity with us, in all our pain and humiliation.
Jesus came from our ineffable God, brought a human face to the divine, and taught us what lies inside God’s heart. And in doing this, he took on our human condition completely. He didn’t just touch human life, he entered it completely, including the depth of human pain.
Indeed, there are particular sufferings that perhaps Jesus didn’t explicitly experience (racism, sexism, exile, physical disability) but in his dark night of faith on the cross and in his humiliation in his crucifixion, he suffered in a way that no one can say: “Jesus didn’t suffer as I have suffered!”
(Oblate Father Ron Rolheiser is a professor of spirituality at Oblate School of Theology and award-winning author.)
Lou Holtz, a legendary college football coach and devout Catholic who led the University of Notre Dame to the 1988 National Championship, died March 4, 2026, at age 89. He is pictured at Catholic Charities Journey of Hope in Jackson, Miss. in June 2016. (Photo from archives)
By Eric Peat, Today’s Catholic (OSV News) – Leading up to a college football clash between Notre Dame and heated rival Miami in the late 1980s, a team chaplain for the Hurricanes proclaimed that God doesn’t care who wins football games.
Lou Holtz, coach of the Fighting Irish at the time, agreed. “I don’t think God cares who wins, either,” he replied with a smile. “But his Mother does.”
This now-famous quip captured the essence of the legendary coach: an uncanny wit, an unwavering Catholic faith and an unshakable love for Notre Dame – Our Lady’s university. On March 4, Holtz died in Orlando, Florida, at the age of 89, surrounded by his family. Holtz leaves behind not just a decorated football resume but a legacy of shaping young men and inspiring people to live virtuously.
Louis Leo Holtz was born on Jan. 6, 1937, in Follansbee, West Virginia, and grew up in East Liverpool, Ohio. He played linebacker at Kent State University before beginning a coaching career that would span over four decades. With head coaching stops at William and Mary, North Carolina State, Arkansas, Minnesota, Notre Dame and South Carolina, Holtz became the ninth-winningest coach in college football history with a record of 249-132-7. He received national Coach of the Year honors on three occasions and remains the only coach to lead six separate programs to bowl games.
However, Holtz is best remembered for his 11 seasons in South Bend, where he revitalized the Notre Dame football program. From 1986 through 1996, the Fighting Irish won 100 games, reached a program-record nine consecutive bowl games, and were undefeated national champions in 1988 – Notre Dame’s last national title to date.
After retiring from coaching, Holtz spent time as a studio analyst for ESPN, a best-selling author and a motivational speaker, where he continued inspiring people with the same energy and charisma. He often told crowds, “I follow three rules: Do the right thing, do the best you can, and always show people you care.” Holtz preached that “life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you respond to it.” He challenged people to live exceptional lives, famously stating, “I can’t believe that God put us on this earth to be ordinary.”
Central to everything Holtz did was his faith. A lifelong Catholic, Holtz served as an altar boy and credited the education he received from the Sisters of Notre Dame with instilling the desire to make God the focus of his life. Holtz was outspoken about his faith and believed following Church teachings “brings meaning and lasting happiness to life.”
He possessed a deep and profound love for Notre Dame – not just his team, but the university, the students, the fans and the faith alive on campus. “Every single day being there was very special,” Holtz told the National Catholic Register in a 2012 interview, “because there were so many opportunities to encounter and live out the Catholic faith.”
(Eric Peat writes from Fort Wayne, Indiana, for Today’s Catholic, the news outlet of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend.)
